5 interesting Pokemon Horizons trivia that fans need to know

Pokemon Horizons: The Series is the latest entry in the long-running collection of Pocket Monsters animated shows. However, compared to the majority of previous properties, the story focuses on a new cast of characters instead of chronicling the adventures of Ash Ketchum. Despite this change, Horizons has proven to be quite popular among fans and features many faces and places both new and familiar.

Regardless of whether one has been a fan of Pokemon Horizons since the beginning or getting into the series now, it doesn't hurt to know some of the more interesting trivia about Horizons to add a little context to the series as a whole.

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Pokemon Horizons facts that fans should know

1) It's the first series entry where a main character uses a Grass-type starter as their partner

Liko's Floragato in the Horizons series (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Pokemon anime has had a long list of main characters to join Ash on his adventures, but oddly enough, none of their first partners were ever a Grass-type starter before Horizons began airing. The protagonist Liko, while attending Indigo Academy, selected a Sprigatito as her first partner, finally marking the first time a primary character had chosen a Grass-type starter as their first Pocket Monster.

Liko's Sprigatito has since evolved into a Floragato, and it has been her staunchest ally during the ongoing Terastal Debut arc.

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2) None of the three main characters are adapted from the games

Horizons' three main characters are original creations and not based on the games (Image via The Pokemon Company)

During Ash Ketchum's animated tenure, he traveled with a rotating cast of main characters on his adventures, and many of them were adaptations of player characters or NPCs from the core series of games (Brock, Misty, Iris, May, Dawn, Clemont, etc). However, Horizons' core trio of Liko, Roy, and Dot are all original characters created specifically for the series.

Characters from the core series do appear including Pokemon Scarlet and Violet's Nemona and Director Clavell as well as many Paldean gym leaders and even faces from Sword and Shield like Kabu. However, when it comes to the three main characters, their identities were all original.

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3) Some flashbacks change the aspect ratio

Certain episodes like Episode 18 intentionally switch the aspect ratio during flashbacks (Image via The Pokemon Company)

The Pokemon anime has often experimented with different animation tricks when flashbacks occur, and Horizons continues the tradition. The most noticeable change made during flashbacks can be seen during Episode 18, which shares the past of Friede and Captain Pikachu. During this episode, the flashback transitions from a 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio to a 21:9 Cinemascope-style format.

Fans viewing the episode (and some additional episodes featuring flashbacks) without a 21:9 monitor may notice this transition when black letterbox bars appear at the top and the bottom of the screen (as seen in the above image), though sometimes it can happen so subtly that some watchers might even notice.

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4) Liko and Roy were designed by Ken Sugimori

Liko and Roy's designs were created by the great Ken Sugimori (Image via @anipoke_PR/The Pokemon Company)

Even though series protagonists Liko and Roy didn't exist in the core series games, their designs were created by one of the creative masterminds behind the entire franchise. Artist Ken Sugimori, who originally designed the original 151 Generation I species and who has also designed many other characters/monsters as well as card art for the TCG, is credited with Liko and Roy's design.

Sugimori is often considered one of the titans of the franchise due to his work spanning its entire history, particularly early on, and it's nice to see the series adapt his designs for these two protagonists.

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5) Dot's Trainer ID number is 230804 to signify a special moment

Dot's Trainer ID is a reference to the episode where she decided to become a trainer (Image via The Pokemon Company)

Dot was the final Horizons protagonist to become a trainer in the series, which occurred during Episode 16 when she and her Quaxly decided to help Liko and Roy against the villainous Explorers. However, some fans might not have noticed that Dot's Trainer ID number is also a reference to this moment since it's the number 230804.

In Japan, Episode 16 of Horizons aired on August 4, 2023. Dot's Trainer ID follows the yy/mm/dd format of the day she decided to help her friends and become a trainer, 23/08/04. It's a small Easter Egg and doesn't have anything to do with the larger story, but it's a fond way for fans and the showrunners to remember this pivotal moment for one of the series' protagonists.